WATCH | Gujarat Couple's Narrow Escape During Diu Parasailing Ride As Rope Snaps

The incident took place on Sunday afternoon when Sarala Kathad and her husband Ajit Kathad went parasailing off Nagao beach in Diu

WATCH | Gujarat Couple's Narrow Escape During Diu Parasailing Ride As Rope Snaps

New Delhi: A couple from Gujarat had a narrow escape off Nagao beach in Diu as their parachute rope snapped during a parasailing trip. The two had the life jackets on and were saved by the lifeguards almost immediately.

A video of the incident went viral on social media.

@VisitDiu @DiuTourismUT @DiuDistrict @VisitDNHandDD
Parasailing Accident,
Safety measures in India,
and they said very rudely that this is not our responsibility. Such things happens. Their response was absolutely pathetic.#safety #diu #fun #diutourism #accident pic.twitter.com/doN4vRNdO8

— Rahul Dharecha (@RahulDharecha) November 14, 2021

The incident took place on Sunday afternoon as Sarala Kathad and her husband Ajit Kathad went parasailing and were left unanchored. The couple’s parachute was attached to a powerboat on which Ajit’s brother Rakesh was also present. He was taking a video of their adventure. However, the ride turned into a disasterous experience for all of them when the rope attached to the powerboat snapped and the parachute went untethered.

According to reports, the parachute landed about 100 metres away in the middle of the sea. The couple fell into the sea but they stayed afloat due to the life jackets. The lifeguards of the Palms Adventures and Motorsports (PAM), the private firm that runs the parasailing service availed by the couple, rescued the two within minutes.

Ajit is a multipurpose health worker by profession, and Sarla is a teacher, the reports said.

The incident left the couple in shock. “While we remained afloat thanks to our life jackets, my wife was in a state of shock and couldn’t speak for a few minutes. We requested help from the powerboat to which our parachute was anchored but they told us the lifeguards would save us. Around five minutes later, the lifeguards came on another powerboat and rescued us,” Ajit told The Indian Express.

According to Rakesh, he had pointed out to the operators that the rope was worn out, but was assured it would not be reeled out. The PAM proprietor’s son Satvik told The Indian Express that it was an accident that took place all of a sudden probably due to air pressure. He claimed they had taken "precautionary measures". Satvik said the couple were strapped with life jackets, and "our lifeguards rescued them in no time".